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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Grandmother's Rings

I just came across Cheryl's Blog which is joining a "See What Jewellery You Are Wearing" Blog Hop here. Now I'm not so into jewellery and don't wear much but it was the first two entries that attracted me, both to do with Grandmother's rings. The only jewellery I wear are my wedding and engagement rings, my Grandmother's engagement ring and a silver bangle known as "the-bangle-I-bought-for-myself-on-honeymoon-as-my-new-husband-was-too-tight-to-buy-it-for-me-bangle". He doesn't really like that story and wishes he had bought it as I have worn it nearly every day for 19 years!

My extensive collection of jewellery!

When we got married we were both students and very poor! My engagement ring came from one of those discount jewellers with big red and yellow stickers everywhere, was second hand and cost 225 pounds (Aussie keyboard - no pound sign!). The hallmark said 1917, if I remember correctly (it is no longer there as the ring was so worn the band snapped and had to be replaced!), and is of the style where the setting is larger than the stone, none the less, I love it and would never swap it as it reminds me of where we have been and of what is truly important in life (ooh, nearly made myself a wee bit teary there!).

My engagement ring

When it came to getting a wedding ring, we had no money left but I did have a big, chunky signet ring given to me by my Paternal Grandmother some years previously with my initials on it. It had belonged to an aunt of hers from a wealthy Edinburgh family who also shared our initials. Since my parents were at the other end of the country from my chosen university I would sometimes jump on the train to Glasgow and then head to Largs to spend a weekend with my Grandmother. It was on one of these occasions that I asked her if I could have the ring melted down and made into my wedding ring. She was delighted and I was relieved as she could be quite forceful in her opinions!

My wedding ring

When we were little, my brother and I always favoured our maternal Grandmother as she was more your typical, cuddly Granny, but as I got older I learned to respect and love this indomitable lady. I was very fortunate to spend a week with her a few days before she died in 1996. During that week she told me that I was to have her engagement ring but, to cut a long story short, my Dad decided it should go to my Mother so that he could see it and be reminded of his Mother. The day before we left for Australia, 12 years later, I had a substantial amount of money in Tesco vouchers (how I miss them!!) to spend in Goldsmiths. Mother was with me to help me choose but I didn't like the watches, I didn't like the rings and I wouldn't have worn anything else. Mother took me to one side and told me that she had been planning to give me my Grandmother's ring before we left as she thought I needed at least one piece of jewellery that was appropriate for my husband's new position!! Might also have had something to do with my comments over the years about whether or not she was enjoying MY ring...! Happily we had seen a really pretty ring with 7 diamonds in the shape of a flower that we thought would remind her of the 7 of us every time she wore it so my vouchers were well spent and everyone was happy.

Granny's ring

Apparently the ring isn't actually my Grandmother's engagement ring but we don't really know what happened to her original. We found her original wedding ring, a tiny gold band, but I will always remember the beautiful scalloped ring that she wore. I now have them both but her fingers must have been tiny as I can't wear either of them any more.

Granny's original wedding ring. You can see the initials for Joseph Thom Carrick - Sarah Colvin

The wedding ring I remember her wearing

Her teeny rings compared to my chunky one!

Hopefully one day my own daughter will appreciate these rings and their history, but currently she refuses point blank to wear any of the beautiful silver bangles I have bought for her, prefering to wear bits of wool that she has finger knitted instead!

5 comments:

What lovely memories and keepsakes. The story about the bangle made me giggle as something similar happened on our honeymoon. We were in Murano looking at all the beautiful glass ornaments and I decided I would like to have a glass camel - tiny and inexpensive. Well, my husband thought it was ridiculous and said we should buy a glass trinket dish with a lid instead. We bought the dish and then I got in a huff. We spent the rest of our time in Venice looking for a little glass camel - not one shop had one!! We came home empty handed and my husband has regretted it ever since. We went back to Venice a couple of years ago with the kids and we were on a mission to find a camel, to no avail. I got a glass giraffe instead, which I love. And the glass trinket dish? It is full of rings and has resided on my bedside table for most of the 16 years we've been married! xxx

What an awesome post, so lovely hear stories like yours. I just recently was bequeathed my Aunt's wedding and engagement rings, she was well into her 90's and I wear them and think of her every time I look at them its such a special connection too. Janette x x

This story is so beautiful and I adore your rings you have shared. So love that they have such sentimental value for you and these are far more precious than any other jewellery bargain I have ever picked up. Gorgeous! Thanks so much for joining in and linking up. N x

Hi Sandra! You put my post to shame lol! And such beautiful photos of them...I'm in dire need of a proper camera! I love the way this linky has taken a wee life of it's own. We're all discussing the sentimental history of our jewellery!